SCISSION provides progressive news and analysis from the breaking point of Capital.
SCISSION represents an autonomist Marxist viewpoint.
The struggle against white skin privilege and white supremacy is key.
---
"You cannot carry out fundamental change without a certain amount of madness. In this case, it comes from nonconformity, the courage to turn your back on the old formulas, the courage to invent the future.”
FIGHT WHITE SUPREMACY, SAVE THE EARTH

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST HELD ON SEDITION CHARGE IN INDIA

Environmental activist Piyush Sethia was arrested today in Salem and charged with sedition. Salem is a city and a corporation in Salem district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located in the north central part of the southernmost state of India.

The charge is a non-bailable offense with a maximum sentence of life in prison. Piyush was arrested while passing out a simple pamphlet (translated after the article below below) at a Republic Day rally.

The following is from Express News Service.

Environmental activist held

SALEM: Noted environmental activist Piyush Sethia, founder of Speak Out Salem, was arrested on Tuesday when he tried to mobilise awareness against Operation Green Hunt at the Republic Day function venue.

Detailing the negative fallouts of Operation Green Hunt launched by the Central government against the Maoists, a handbill pointed out that lakhs of tribals were being displaced in the name of flushing out Maoists. It also made angry references to Union Minister P Chidambaram and questioned the spirit behind the Republic Day celebrations.

According to Inspector Kennedy, Sethia entered the Gandhi stadium, where the Republic Day celebrations were being held. There, he started to distribute handbills to visitors, which the police said were inflammatory in nature and were against the conduct during a Republic Day celebration.

Sethia maintained that he did not enter the stadium and denies distributing any handbill to visitors. He said he was giving a handbill to a police inspector, who was also a friend, when another inspector, Annadurai (City Intelligence Service), snatched it away. Sethia said he was then assaulted and taken to the Hasthampatti police station.

The Hasthampatti police have booked cases under non-bailable charges of sedition and the Tamil Nadu Public Area Disfigurement Act. Taking exception to the arrest, activists and lawyers are mobilising legal support to ensure his release.

After the handbill distribution, Sethia had planned to go on a cycle campaign up to Sivagangai (P Chidambaram's constituency) to create awareness against Operation Green Hunt.

ROUGH TRANSLATION OF THE PAMPHLET THAT ALLEGEDLY CONTAINS THE SEDITIOUSMATERIAL:

Government of India: Stop the War

P.Chidambaram, who in order to pander to the imperialist designs of Tata,Essar, Mittal, Vedanta, has destroyed 644 villages, and made 3 lakh Indianrefugees in their own land.

India is becoming Africa

Chattisgarh is where this sorry state of affairs prevails.

Under such circumstances, is it the celebration of Republic Day justified?

The Right to Life of Citizens of the country is a big question mark.

The Republic Day is a day when the state reaffirms its intent to safeguardthe democratic rights of Indian citizens. However, on this day, the CentralGovernment has, in the name of battling the naxalites, armed some adivasisorganised as the Salwa Judum. Further, in the name of Operation Greenhunt,Mr. P. Chidambaram and his cabal have caused more than 5000 adivasi women tobe raped. More than 2.5 lakh adivasis have been forced to escape into theforests to safeguard their lives. Further, more than 50,000 adivasis fromChattisgarh are living as refugees in Andhra Pradesh.

Further, the Supreme Court has ordered the Central and State Governments torestore to the more than 300,000 adivasis from 644 villages their homes andvillages, and to facilitate their return to their home villages. But despitethis, the Governments have done nothing to obey the Supreme Court order. Whythis illegal act? Where are the constitutionally guaranteed rights of thepeople?

On this day, (26th January), what guarantees are being extended by theIndian state to Adivasis?

Is it the intent of the Indian Government merely to hand over land to Tatas,Essar and Vedantas, and enrich them?

At a time when farmers have underlined their problems by committingsuicides, by snatching away agricultural lands and handing it over to therich, are you declaring that this is the face of progress?

We will raise our voices against it.

On 26 January, we will undertake a cycle rally via Sivagangai (Chidambaram'sconstituency) to Chennai.